'Fined' for refusing to let bikie sleep with wife

A Brisbane man who refused to allow bikies to sleep with his wife was "fined" $5000 and threatened with violence if he refused to pay.

He is one of dozens of innocent Queenslanders reportedly who have been caught in an alleged extortion operation, which has seen thousands of dollars paid out to former Bandidos members in the past year by people caught in "the wrong place at the wrong time".

The threats of violence launched raids yesterday by Queensland and federal police throughout Brisbane, swooping on 12 senior members and associates and charging them with 37 counts of extortion, The Courier-Mail reports.

Deputy Police Commissioner Brent Pointing congratulated the "courageous" seven victims, many in their mid-to-late 20s, who had come forward with their stories in the last month.

All had been seen randomly at a gym or in public and targeted because of the car they drove or the belief that they had disposable income.

In one case a victim was ordered to set up a direct debit account to make regular payments to a bikie, while another man was forced to move houses to escape his extorters.

One man who refused to pay up was allegedly assaulted and faces facial reconstruction surgery, the newspaper reports.

Mr Pointing said those who had come forward were "the tip of the iceberg" and he urged others to contact police if they had been targeted.

Source: The Courier-Mail.